Northumberland Coast Path

15^th- 19^th May 2023

 

Introduction

 

The completion of my nineteenth and last national trail involved Mike and me finishing last year’s walking week at Berwick upon Tweed. With the certificate from the LDWA National Trail Register came the news that the entire England Coast Path had now been added to the list. So, it was back to Berwick for this year’s episode, to attempt to complete the Northumberland section of this 2,700-mile odyssey. Little did we know what difficulties would be encountered in returning to Berwick by train.

 

Our Northern train to Manchester was cancelled and we were fortunate that the following Avanti express was on time. The TransPennine train to York was cancelled and again we had to make do with a later service whose three coaches made overcrowding on cattle trucks seem humane. In getting so many people on board, the train was late arriving in York and we had to run through a tunnel between platforms to catch our LNER connection (which was held for us, thank goodness). So, more by good luck than judgement, we arrived at Berwick at the prescribed hour. No time for a cafe, we had a full-day’s walking in front of us and it was well after mid-day.

 

 

Monday 15^th May 2023                     Berwick upon Tweed - Fenwick

Cancelled Trains

 

We set off immediately from the station, descending a set of steps through a wooded dingle to the riverside path below the Royal Border Bridge. Within minutes we were standing on the Old Bridge where last year’s trek had ended. Crossing the river, we saw our first way markers for the England Coast Path. Along Dock Road and through the quiet suburb of Spittal, we were soon up on the low cliffs on a grassy path squeezed between the railway and the sea. The route joined a narrow lane leading to a car park containing a feature that stopped us in our tracks, an ice cream van. The tarmac eventually gave way to a track into the dunes. Here I got off line slightly walking nearer the sea than intended but we were rewarded by a wonderful spread of cowslips stretching as far as we could see. At Cheswick Shiel, we corrected our misalignment, crossing a golf course to the club house and back onto route.

A long lane took us passed Beachcomber House and onto a grass path behind the dunes. Encountering the first of many estuaries, the route turned inland to cross the stream at Beal Sluice. A boggy section of path ran round the high-water line of the tidal marshes to reach the causeway road heading for Lindisfarne. Weaving between the concrete blocks that were intended to stop people from parking, we continued up a series of field paths to the railway line. Being the East Coast main line, the trains pass at high speed and the signalman has to be contacted by phone to ensure that it is safe to cross the track. After waiting for one train, we leapt across and up the next field. Within a minute two more trains thundered across behind us, illustrating the need for caution. A few minutes later, we were crossing the A1, just as dangerous as the railway, and searching for our accommodation in Fenwick. Because the pub providing the only food in the area wanted us there early, we had very quick showers before    setting off walking again, 

 

Berwick dep. 12.41, Fenwick arr. 17.25

GPS 12.60 miles in 4hr 44mins 26secs walking time, plus another 2.5 miles to and from the pub. Stayed at Fenwick b&b, Aidanfield, Fenwick and ate at the Lindisfarne Inn, over a mile away by quiet country lanes. I had game cottage pie followed by rhubarb crumble and custard all washed down with Secret Kingdom (4.3%) from Hadrian Border Brewery.

 

 

Tuesday 16^th May 2023                Fenwick – Seahouses

Gorse in Full Bloom

 

On a bright and breezy morning, we left our lovely b&b after an excellent breakfast. I lost Mike in the village store. He popped in to buy a sandwich for lunch and then got talking. I eventually returned to the village to search for him and found him still in the shop. At last, we were on our way, up a long straight lane leading into wooded hills. The turn-off was onto a contouring field path giving good views over Lindisfarne and the coast. In the forest, the path became muddy with evidence of windblow from recent storms. Eventually we emerged onto open moorland and the flowering gorse made a blazing yellow spectacle in the morning sunshine. Fabulous views of distant Bamburgh Castle were all too soon interrupted by a turn downhill through forestation down to Swinhoe Farm. The descent to Belford was through grassy pastureland, passed a fortified farm with a castle on one end. Belford looked a pleasant town and it provided me with a Co-op for a sandwich and a small coffee shop, Well House, for a welcome coffee and cake,

 

The exit from the town was passed a huge industrial complex consisting of many silos, all identical. Could this be grain? Without an answer, we crossed the main railway line for a second time, complete with the usual phone-call to the signalman. More high pasture was to follow, this time grazed by young cattle, with fields of oil-seed rape below. At the next lane, I was aware that all was not as per the maps or previous experience. The advent of the new England Coast Path project had resulted in a complete re-route. The newly signed trail ran closer to the sea, circumnavigating Waren Mill via a campsite and footpaths not on any of our maps. We gained the shore of Budle Bay on a busy road running along the shore-line where a pair of eider ducks was swimming. Another new coast path fingerpost took us from this road down to Kiln Point. Here we sat by the shore and ate our butties.

 

Re-joining the original path systems, the afternoon section traversed the golf course with Bamburgh Castle getting intimidatingly closer. So was poor weather. As we stood on a sandy path beneath the great ramparts, a drizzle came in from the sea. Donning our rain gear we traipsed on, getting wetter from the long grass and shrubs than from the rain. Beyond the castle, we took to the waymarked path into the dunes. This ran parallel with the coast road but gave soft, sometimes very soft, off-road walking. This two-mile part of the walk emerged from the dunes in the outskirts of Seahouses. A dreary seafront led into town and its bustling little centre. Our accommodation was just inland but was easy to find from the instructions. T could not access the e-mail with the access code to the room but we were able to get help from reception and were soon showering and changing from our wet clothes.

 

Fenwick dep. 09.00, Seahouses arr.16.55

GPS 16.66 miles in 6hrs 57mins 37secs walking time plus 30 mins at Well House Cafe in Belford and 20 mins eating our sandwiches at Kiln Point.

Stayed at Links Lets, Seahouses, and ate at the Olde Ship Inn. I ordered fish and chips and mushy peas. The golden syrup sponge was served in an old Tate & Lyle syrup tin and we just added custard. The beer was Farne Island (4.0%) and Grainger Ale (4.6%) from Hadrian Border Brewery.

 

 

Wednesday 17^th March 2023           Seahouses – Alnmouth

Breakfast at Beadnell

 

Our accommodation did not provide breakfast, in fact it provided nothing but a small rather stuffy room. We had been provided with a list of breakfast providers. Unfortunately, none of the local ones opened before 10am but an early opening café was recommended in the next village. So, we packed our sacks and set off, with our usual butty purchase at the Co-op, passed the harbour and out over the golf course. The day was bright and clear, much better than the previous dreich afternoon. We met a lady on her morning walk who enquired about our early start. When she heard about our quest for some breakfast, she offered to take us home and provide. We thanked her for her kind offer but continued on our coastal journey with the village of Beadnell as our immediate target. The Courtyard Coffee Shop was advertised on a handwritten board at the end of The Haven, a road to Farne Hall and the Craster Arms. Soon we were tucking into a huge breakfast, me with a stack of pancakes. Not a bad start to the day.

 

We left Beadnell along the beach which provided easy walking until we encountered the Long Nanny River where we were diverted upstream around an area cordoned off for nesting birds. Crossing Long Nanny Bridge, we were back on a grassy path in meadows full of buttercups. It was back into civilisation at Lower Newton where the beach and pub were full of visitors. In the dunes beyond, the path weaved between a encampment of wooden cabins before emerging onto a series of golf courses. We met the lady who had earlier in the day offered to give us breakfast, She was now out walking with friends, Signs took us round the edge of the golf courses heading for Dunstanburgh Castle which appeared as a flat -topped ancient hillfort. The castle looked more impressive looking back from the south side. Cropped grassland, one huge lawn, stretched out before us most of the way to Craster. This was another busy village bustling with holiday-makers, again focussed on and around the pub. We found a quiet spot on the edge of the village with a table in a kiddies play area. Time to eat our butties.

 

The last section of the day was a pleasant stroll along clifftops with nesting seabirds swirling over the sea. The small village of Boulter was soon behind us and the complex of buildings including the clubhouse at Foxton Hall dominated the view. The official route of the coast path goes through the clubhouse grounds before crossing more fairways and greens. The walk ended with a climb up to a spectacular viewpoint over Alnmouth, then a steep descent into the town, passing the pub where we were staying. So, we abandoned our trek, had showers and refreshments in our room and completed the last mile round the town after dinner.

Seahouses dep. 08.20, Alnmouth arr.16.30

GPS 18.24 miles in 7hrs 07mins 28secs walking time plus 40 mins in Courtyard Coffee Shop in Beadnell and 15 mins lunch-stop in Craster. We stayed in the Hope & Anchor in Alnmouth. For dinner I had fish and chips for the second evening running. There was no proper pudding. I drank Anchor Ale (3.8%) from Cullercoats Brewery and Alnwick IPA (4.5%) from Alnwick Brewery. And then we walked the extra mile bringing our total for the day to over 19 miles.

 

 

Thursday 18^th March 2023  Alnmouth – Newbiggin by the Sea

Annoying a Twitcher           

                                   

Having completed the circuit of the town the previous night, we were straight out on route in the morning, over the river bridge and along the cycle routes which kept us away from the main road. Back down to the sea, the coast path was signed along grassy and sandy paths that ran behind the dunes. These led to the inevitable golf course, whose entrance road was used as access to Warkworth town centre. A lovely old bridge over the Coquet River led through the town walls at a medieval gateway which took us straight into the village shop. Clutching sandwiches for our lunch and licking refreshing ice creams, we sat briefly on the steps of the market cross. Then we climbed slowly up to the castle and left on the main road out of town towards Amble. The trail entered Amble via the marina, then crossed some playing fields into the shopping area where we found a quiet café, the Coquet Tea Rooms, for coffee and cake.

 

We left Amble via the South Jetty before taking once more to a sandypath through the dunes, parallel to the coast road. The next 5 miles or so were on hard surfaced cycleways which ran for almost the full length of Druridge Bay. It passed through nature reserves, fresh water lakes and vast areas of reed beds. Bird life was prolific with this mix of sea, woodland and marsh. Half way along this section we sat of a bench listening to reed warblers and ate our precious food supplies. Then we plodded on, dispirited by the endless tarmac and cyclists until we reached a car park where a twitcher, complete with cameras and tripod, had just spotted a rare Grasshopper Warbler. We waltzed right through the middle of this, scaring the bird into flight, He will probably never be the same again. Before he could curse us, we turned off the road and into the dunes. Dry sandy paths and poorly signed fields led us to Cresswell and its tower, the official terminus of the Northumberland Coast Path. An interpretive board told us that we had walked 62 miles from Berwick. But our path did not stop here. We had the whole of the England Coast in front of us.

 

Ahead was our first power station, a 420MW plant fuelled by biomass. It was originally the power supply to a local aluminium works but now feeds the national grid. Two colourful gypsy caravans were parked on the rough grassland leading up to Lynemouth and the horses were grazing nearby. The coast path ran round the seaward side on a made-up path that looked pretty flat but obviously had a trip hazard, a piece of protruding slate, which I fell over. Mike helped me to my feet and we continued on to the golf course and the last headland before Newbiggin. The coast path signs directed us onto the promenade and we were surprised to find our accommodation, the Old Ship, on this pedestrian way and not in the main street. We had a lovely room with two large beds. The pub did not  do food, especially on quiz night, so we showered, changed and wander into town to find an Italian restaurant that had been recommended.

Alnmouth dep. 09.13, Newbiggin arr.17.42

GPS 20.78 miles in 7hrs 31mins 58 secs walking time plus 25 mins at the Coquet Tea Rooms in Amble and 15 mins eating our sandwiches near Druridge Bay Nature Reserve.

Stayed at the Old Ship in Newbiggin, managed a quick pint of West Highland Way (3.7%) from Loch Lomond Brewery and ate at Due Fratelli, an Italian restaurant on Front Street. The meal was lasagne and garlic bread followed by stick toffee pudding and ice cream. A bottle of Merlot made a change from all that beer.

 

Friday 19^th May 2023                       Newbiggin by the Sea – Blyth South Beach

Blyth Spirit

 

A huge breakfast awaited us on a warm but dull morning. Armed with a sandwich from the local Co-op, we set off along the promenade and out onto the coast path beyond Spital Point. The cliff tops were dominated by static caravan parks which restricted us to a narrow strip of grass along the edge. This eventually became unwalkable and an acorn sign directed us into the caravan park. Enquiries of residents did not reveal a designated route so we returned to the beach and walked on the wet sand round to the estuary of the Wansbeck and then followed the river inland to cross over the weir under the bridge carrying the main coast road. Back on the south bank, there was a lovely section of riverside path round to the car park near Cambois Farm. Along the dunes heading for the old power station, a line of cottages came into view, each house painted a different bright colour. Just beyond this terrace, the route turned inland on roads through an area of industry connected, it seemed, to energy production.

 

The skies had cleared and we were getting rather hot as we trudged along pavements. As the roads got busier, we were relieved to turn into a lane through some new housing and then through a woodland leading to farmland on the banks of the River Blyth. A mile along the overgrown riverbank we came to a complex of roads and cycleways which led up and over a high-level bridge carrying a dual carriageway of fast-moving traffic. The path  on the south side back to the sea was dominated by light industry but we moved quickly on cycleways along the riverbank towards Blyth town centre. A fisherman recommended a café which we set out to find whilst keeping to the signed route through new housing estates. In town, walkers share the pavements with cyclists on Sustrans Route 1, this at first seeming rather alarming. Eventually we felt we were close enough to the centre to turn inland and soon came  to the Frameworks, a smart arts café, perhaps too smart for two hot and sweaty walkers.

 

After a coffee and cake, we returned to the dockside roads and stopped for a moment at Williams II. a gaff rigged ketch, the ship that led the expedition that discovered Antarctica. The route cut inland to pass through Ridley Park before taking to the pavement of Links    Road. After a mile or so, South Beach appeared on the left and we walked down the promenade to a bench overlooking the bay. A short stop for sandwiches and we concluded our weeklong walk and headed for home. The first bus to arrive was a 309 Cobalt & Coast service to Newcastle which took us to Haymarket in the city centre. A guy on the bus showed us the way to Central Station only to find that the next two services to Manchester were cancelled by our wonderful train service provider TransPennine. But the 18.04 train took us to Manchester Victoria and, after a walk across Manchester, a delayed Avanti train was soon in Macclesfield. It had been a long day.

 

Newbiggin dep. 09.21, Blyth South Beach arr. 14.50

GPS 12.65 miles in 4hrs 38mins 25secs walking time with 30 mins in the Frameworks Art Café in Blyth and 10 min break at South Beach.            

 

 

Conclusion

 

Another great walk with Mike, spoilt only by the train companies’ inability to provide a service to this corner of the country. The England Coast Path project is underway with the 82-mile completion of the Northumberland section. It was amazingly well signed with several improvements from the original Northumberland Coast Path. Old maps are now out of date as the new route, clinging as it does to the dunes and coast, takes precedence. The next section through suburban North and South Shields and Sunderland and Hartlepool will in no way match the glorious coastline of the north. And Mike and I, for our annual forays, will be looking to better things in our dotage. So, I may come back alone to walk the industrial legacy of Tyne and Wear. Perhaps a winter project. Then we can continue with high quality walking on the Yorkshire Coast in future years.

 

 

Stanza Stones Trail

19^th October 2022, 26^th-27^thApril 2023

 

Introduction

 

In the planning discussions for next year’s walks for the South Manchester Group of the LDWA, Bridget came up with the concept of walking the Stanza Stones Trail. This is a 47-mile route from Marsden, the birthplace of Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, to his present home town of Ilkley. Six of his poems have been carved onto gritstone outcrops along the trail, each reflecting on a different aspect of water. As part of the reconnaissance programme, David and I offered to accompany Bridget across the moors on the first of her journeys. The logistics were an interesting exercise with the favoured option being to let the train take the strain. So, in between strikes and crew shortages, we booked our e-tickets and met on Piccadilly Station early one Wednesday morning for the first stage of the walk.

 

 

Wednesday 19^th October 2022                     Marsden – Hebden Bridge

Snow and Rain

 

An early train to Piccadilly enabled David and me to enjoy a cup of coffee before rendezvousing with Bridget for the 08.30 TransPennine train to Marsden. The weather was fine with a minimal risk of rain. Only the wind would become an issue. Just after 9am the three of us were climbing the steps from the platform at Marsden station, gravitating downhill to find the Huddersfield Narrow canal. A pleasant amble along the towpath brought us to the visitors’ centre at the basin comprising the end of the Standedge Tunnel which, at 3 miles in length, is the longest deepest and highest tunnel in Britain. Crossing the canal and zig-zagging up to the main road, we found the route up a farm track and then onto the open moor. A steep grass trod ascended straight up Pule Hill where the views from the memorial cross were spectacular. A narrow path took us across the moor to the western edge overlooking Redbrook Clough. A wide grassy track descended into an old quarry where a careful search revealed our first Stanza Stone, consisting of four lines of the poem ‘Snow’ carved into a gritstone boulder.

 

The quarry workings were exited down a long straight incline, the original track of a winch railway. Following the Standedge Trail to the Carriage House, no longer a pub or hotel, we crossed the A62 and set out across more disused quarry workings to join the Pennine Way. Much of the path over White Hill is paved with old industrial flagstones. It came as a pleasant surprise to find a café in a shipping container sited beside the A672 near Windy Gap transmission station. A quick bacon butty enabled us to keep our sandwiches for later on this long day’s walk. Outside the wind was really letting this place live up to its name, blowing us across the M62 footbridge and along Blackstone Edge. Picking our own route through the overgrown quarries below the Edge, we emerged onto the waterworks path near the White House. Resisting the urge for a second refreshment break, we staggered onto into the gale towards the Rain Stone, the second Stanza Stone, comprising the entire poem ‘Rain’ carved into a long low gritstone edge on the far bank of a steep-sided leat crossed via an old stone clapper bridge.

 

The wind was really strong alongside the reservoirs, making progress in a straight line rather difficult. Round the end of the reservoir, the wind blew us out onto open moors at the end of which stood the tower on Stoodley Pike. It seemed to take an age to reach it but when we final did, we crouched against the leeward wall to eat our butties. The descent into Hebden Bridge was fast and furious, interrupted only by a panic over a misplaced pair of gloves and a careful check on the correct path. The long straight road into the valley brought us out at the canal bridge and we finished how we had started, on a towpath. We enquired of some locals the best way through the park and we were soon on the station approach. A train was due and I had very little time to buy a ticket before we were whisked away towards Manchester and the end of a long and invigorating day. One last mile across the city centre and we went our separate ways at Piccadilly Station. When shall we three meet again!

 

Marsden dep. 09.05, Hebden Bridge arr. 16.50

GPS 18.68 miles in 7hr 01mins 39secs walking time with a 25-minute break in the café at Windy Gap and a 15-min halt sheltering behind Stoodley Pike for a final refuelling.

 

 

 

Wednesday 26^th April 2023        Hebden Bridge - Bingley

Mist

 

Well, it took six months before the three musketeers could reconvene to finish what began last autumn. Poor weather, train strikes and other commitments delayed our return but now we regathered at Piccadilly Station again for the march across the city. Catching a train from Victoria Station just before 10am, we were in Hebden Bridge by 10.25am. Our start involved a mile of road walking up Keighley Road before we left behind the traffic and noise of a busy town and climbed through woods and fields into another world, the Pennine Moors. By carefully following the text in the guidebook, it was a lot easier finding the intended route than we had anticipated.  Soon Chiserley was behind us in the bright morning sunshine as we climbed the farm-track to the equestrian centre and Midgley Moor. We hesitated on the descent to Catherine House as text and map did not quite match. But we finally were sure we were on the right lines when we entered the walled track and turned through the arch and up the valley road.

 

On the steep climb up to the crenellated house, we passed a lone woman backpacker who had not found the optimum route into the valley and had had a difficult descent. We passed strongly onwards via another arched farm entrance and over Warley Moor heading towards the wind farms. Cold Edge Road was memorable for its fly tipping and a very depressed guy pacing slowly up and down. In the middle of all this, we grabbed a bite to eat, spoilt somewhat by Bridget’s jaw clicking out of joint. It was not the place to hang around so we continued passed reservoir and quarry to find a gate leading towards our first Stanza Stone. The Mist Stone proved difficult to find, set as it is on an inclined slab below a large cairn, facing away from the path. The crossing of the moor was less taxing and we eventually turned onto Hambledon Lane and descended towards a paddock and large tent. Here a Yorkshire Shepherdess was watching her sheep, Derbyshire Gritstones, through a pair of binoculars. She was overseeing the lambing of her flock and was using the tent as a daytime shelter. Then followed two miles of tarmac.

 

Carefully picking our way through the traffic on the A629, it was a relief to be off-road and heading for our overnight destination. An enclosed path brought us to Hellas Lane, a semi-suburban road leading past a farm and down to a bridge over Harden Beck. The guidebook warned of rocky scrambles down the beck-side path but the fingerpost announced this to be the ‘Senior Way’ so it couldn’t be that bad. Passing a waterfall, the hazards came as much from tree roots as from slippery rocks and we were soon down and on easier ground only to find ourselves facing a steep climb up the wooded side of the valley. The continuation along the edge of the gorge was generally flat or downhill but, after crossing a road and footbridge, another uphill slog was the sting in the tail. A short way down Lee Lane, a field path led into a woodland. Here a forest track descended back to beck-level and across Shipley Golf Course to a substantial footbridge over the River Aire. Myrtle Park is the gateway to Bingley but we had a further mile to walk. Passing the station, we trudged up Park Road taking the ginnel shortcut to Lady Lane. This was officially closed and we had to scramble over a trench make further progress. It had been a long hard day right to its conclusion.

 

Hebden Bridge dep. 10.28, Bingley Hotel arr. 18.20

GPS  16.14 miles in 7hr 28mins 49secs walking plus 20 lunch stop on the ‘Waste Road’.

Stayed at the Oakwood Hall Hotel, Lady Lane, Bingley. Shared a brie & cranberry sauce starter then had a chicken Rogan Josh and finished with chocolate sponge and custard (with extra custard). The beer was Saltaire Blonde (4.0%) from the brewery down the valley.

 

 

Thursday 27^th April 2023                 Bingley - Ilkley

Dew, Puddle and Beck

 

Wandering down to breakfast, I found Bridget already tucking into her eggs and toast. I soon caught up with my full English and jug of sludge-like cona coffee. Rucksacks were soon packed and the party gathered at the hotel entrance for a 9am departure. In spite of a poor forecast, the good weather stayed with us as we descended through suburban roads to Five Rise Locks. A three-mile stroll down the canal towpath gave us a good start to a day when we had a specific train to catch. Leaving the Leeds & Liverpool canal at Leche’s Bridge, the route took us upwards through a wood-covered hillside on paths and lanes leading to the open moors. Passing a friendly tup near a communications tower, the guidebook talked us over a grassy field path, through a gate into a newly planted woodland and along a made-up walkway/cycle track to the Dew Stone, our first Stanza Stone of the day.

 

After our mandatory poetry recital, the track took us through a damp and dark pine forest which was part of the original plantation. Emerging into sheep grazing moorland, a level farm track led us passed Black Potts Farm round to Doubler Stone Farm. Here a faint trod ascended close by the Doubler Stones and up onto the highest level of the moor, Black Hill, a spectacular viewpoint over the Aire Valley and the village of Addingham. A mother-daughter pairing of fell runners passed us on their morning training round, the 12-year-old taking full advantage of her teacher’s strike to pursue her ‘physical training’ part of the curriculum. A glorious path ran along the northern edge of Ilkley Moor. All we needed was some shelter from the cold breeze and the Noon Stone provided the perfect siting for a lunch stop. Just after and just behind noon, we sat for a short break.

 

The afternoon session was dominated by stones. And we had the task of finding, them. Firstly, we turned away from the plateau edge, climbing through rough moorland on an indistinct trod that led over a ridge and across to a now mostly felled and logged plantation. Keeping to the outside of the forest wall, we scrambled up to yet another level, pausing to make sure we had the right line for the traverse of the boggy high-level plateau. A marshy wall-side plod brought us to the wireless station and the Thimble Stones which acted as an attack point for the next Stanza Stone, the Puddle Stone. A flagged path lead over the moor to the Twelve Apostles stone circle and then descended  towards Ilkley and the finish of our expedition. But the designated route turned aside from the direct path to follow the Backstone Beck down passed the Poets Seat to a junction of footpaths emerging from both sides of the stream crossing. Desperate not to fail with our last Stanza Stone search, we hesitantly crossed the beck and heading downhill studying text, route sketches and ordnance survey maps. We had two clues: it was near the next footbridge and almost in the stream. To our great relief, a Stanza Stone direction post stood next to the main path and we scrambled up through some gorse and along to a delightful clearing beside the beck. Here it was, the Beck Stone. No time to sit and enjoy the moment of triumph, it was back to the footbridge and onwards via tarn, lane and road to Ilkley station. Just time for a tray of coffees as we sat awaiting our train home.

 

Bingley dep. 08.54, Ilkley arr. 15.20

GPS  14.41 miles in 6hrs 04min 00 secs plus a 20 min stop (12.15-12.35) at the Noon Stone

 

 

Conclusion

A series of trains and city walks took us home. The Ilkley train dropped us at Bradford Forster Square, then probably the trickiest navigation of the day got us across the city to Interchange Station where a very crowded commuter train crossed the Pennines via our starting point of Hebden Bridge and on to Manchester Victoria. Another foot slog across Manchester with Piccadilly station as our destination. Here the three tired combatants sat on a seat awaiting their various trains and saying our thanks and farewells . Such had been our enjoyment of the Stanza Stones Trail that we were already discussing options for next year’s walking project.